Medical/dental/utility glove with anti-fatigue and ergonomic improvement

ABSTRACT

An improved glove has both anatomically correlating stress relief zones and/or reinforced zones to add support in areas opposite the stress relief zones to keep bunching or slipping of the glove from interfering with the bending of the user&#39;s joints. The glove may have corrugated relief zones over some or all of the joints and knuckles of the hand, wherein the relief zones are formed of peaks and valleys. A relief zone can also be provided over the webbing between the thumb and the palm. The vertical or longitudinal relief zones provide for improved glove quality while keeping manufacturing difficulty and costs at a minimum.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/792,402, filed Oct. 24, 2017, entitled Medical/Dental/Utility Glovewith Anti-Fatigue and Ergonomic Improvement, which application is acontinuation of U.S. Patent application is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/930,791, filed Nov. 3, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,801,422, filed Oct. 31, 2017 entitled Medical/Dental/Utility Glovewith Anti-Fatigue and Ergonomic Improvement, which application is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/774,321, filed Feb.22, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,718, issued Nov. 10, 2015, entitledSurgical Glove with Stress Relief Features, which application claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/601,627, filed Feb. 22, 2012,entitled Surgical Glove with Stress Relief Features. Each of theseapplications is incorporated herein by reference.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates to an ergonometrically improved glovehaving areas near or within natural fold lines of a user's hand withstress relief features to provide lower resistance to flexing andanti-fatigue enhancements.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Latex and other medical gloves are used by medical and/or dentalprofessionals to maintain a sanitary boundary between the medical staff(or other users/operators) and the patient. These gloves have also foundtheir way into non-medical fields such as use by automotive workers,painters, and construction work to reduce the transfer of oils, paints,foams and chemicals onto the worker. The inventions described herein canalso be used to increase the usability of sports gloves as well asgeneral gloves for other purposes.

Medical gloves are typically of uniform thickness throughout the gloveto maintain a low cost by simplifying production. This has led to amismatch between the flex patterns of the gloves and the flexing of thehand of the wearer. When the wearer bends his fingers, for example, theglove must stretch unevenly along the wearer's joint and beyond as allhands differ in muscle and skeletal structure. The amount of forcerequired to stretch the glove tends to cause fatigue in the hands of thewearer and can cause other discomfort such as constriction anduncomfortable rubbing/friction along the skin. Additionally, as theglove stretches on one side of the user, an area elsewhere on the handmay also experience bunching/sagging of the material as it fold onitself, for example, bunching beneath the joint of the fingers. Inaddition to the above disadvantages, this can reduce the tactile feelthrough the glove and interfere with grasping delicate instruments. Awearer thus often wears ill-fitting (“larger”) gloves than the wearer'shand size to reduce fatigue with disadvantage of bunching at thefingertip or elsewhere than interferes with the grip and with thetactile feedback. What is needed is an economical, ergonomic glove thathas anti-fatigue features and does not interfere with natural operationof the hands of the wearer.

Some efforts have been made in the past to provide stress relief areas.One such device is shown by Yarbrough in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,490. Anumber of bellows are provided along two fingers of the glove to providecircumferential flex areas as well as too much flexure provided by thebellows causing the fingertips of the gloves to be too loose.Additionally, the portion of the bellows below the finger (palm side) isunnecessary and in the way causing a hindrance to an operator graspingan instrument, for example. Unfortunately, this does not remove theproblem of the material bunching in the area opposite the flex zone.

A number of other gloves also provide various solutions, such as U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,283,338, and 6,962,739. However, none of these inventionsand patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describethe instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to an improved glove having both anatomicallycorrelating stress relief zones and/or reinforced zones to add supportin areas opposite the stress relief zones to keep bunching or slippingof the glove from interfering with the bending of the user's joints. Theglove may have corrugated relief zones over some or all of the jointsand knuckles of the hand, wherein the relief zones are preferably formedof peaks and valleys parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fingersand thumb. A relief zone can also be provided over the webbing betweenthe thumb and the palm. The vertical or longitudinal relief zonesprovide for improved glove quality while keeping manufacturingdifficulty and costs at a minimum.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of a preferred embodiment of theinvention to provide an improved glove having both anatomicallycorrelating stress relief zones and reinforced zones to add support inareas opposite the stress relief zones to keep bunching or slipping ofthe glove from interfering with the bending of the user's joints.

It is another object of the invention to provide a glove having a numberof support ridges or reinforcements to maintain the form of the glove asthe hand bends and folds.

It is an object of the invention to provide a glove having a number oflongitudinally (“vertically”) aligned ridges on the glove to providehand stretch relief zones, such as having folds in the relief zonesubstantially transverse to the axis of rotation of the fingers duringflexing.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a glove having anumber of stress relief portions to reduce the strain on the hands asthe glove stretches around the bending hand and fingers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a number of stressrelief zones that have ribbed or accordion/diamond folds to providestress-free stretching of the glove around the joints of the hand.

It is an object of the invention to provide a glove which allows thehand to assume its natural curvature and dramatically reduce stress andfatigue caused by high stress zones.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements andarrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which isinexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing itsintended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will be readilyapparent upon review of the following detailed description of theinvention and the accompanying drawings. These objects of the presentinvention are not exhaustive and are not to be construed as limiting thescope of the claimed invention. Further, it must be understood that noone embodiment of the present invention need include all of theaforementioned objects of the present invention. Rather, a givenembodiment may include one or none of the aforementioned objects.Accordingly, these objects are not to be used to limit the scope of theclaims of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a back plan view of a glove according to at least one aspectof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a glove according to at least one aspectof the invention.

FIGS. 3 & 4 show an expanded view of expansion zones according todifferent preferred embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic view of a diamond shape relief zone patternsfor use on a glove.

FIGS. 6A-D show diagrammatic views of a diamond shape relief zonepatterns for use on a glove.

FIG. 7A-7B show diagrammatic views of relief zone profiles for use on aglove.

FIGS. 8A-8B show diagrammatic views of alternative relief zone patterns.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the back and front of a glove according to a furtherembodiment of the glove.

FIGS. 11 and 12A-C show diagrammatic views of a diamond shape reliefzone patterns for use on a glove having vertical relief patterns.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The present invention according to at least one aspect is to an improveglove having stress relief zones and/or reinforced zones to increase theergonomics, comfort and usability of the glove.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the back of a glove 10 accordingto at least one aspect of the invention. FIG. 2 shows the front (or palmside) of the glove. The different zones on the back are coincidentallystretch zones and the zones on the front are reinforced zones since thehand generally bends in only one direction, except for the thumb.

In practice, a glove would be constructed of a thin layer of uniformlatex, nitril, vinyl or other material. According to a preferredembodiment of the invention, at least one stress relief area 12 isprovided above the knuckles (knuckle joints, etc.) of the hand andlocated within the uniform thickness main glove portion. This stressrelief area includes a ribbed or accordion fold (20, FIG. 3) oralternatively diamond cross link areas (20 b, FIG. 4) so that as fingersof the hand bend, the stress area stretch with less resistance than thethin/uniform area of latex would have. The folds or ribs can “unfold” or“fold out” as the knuckle (or a joint) bends allow the material toexpand a set distance before the material is “stretched” and may includeelastic reinforcement in the rib or elsewhere to control expansion andcontraction of the material and to maintain the integrity of the gloveso that no tear or damage to the glove occurs. Alternatively, the foldscould align with the fingers (i.e., transverse to the axis of therotation/curling/flexing of the fingers) such as that shown in FIGS.9-12 and explained later hereinunder. The expansion zone can bereinforced with crossing elastic fibers 24 or other material within thematerial to control the amount of stretching and the ability of thematerial to return to its contracted state, i.e., prevent overstretching and overall stabilizes the glove. This expansion reduces theamount of force necessary for the material of the glove to bend aroundthe knuckles (or joints) of the hand as one or more fingers are curledto grasp a medical/dental instrument, for example. By providing theadditional material in the relief zones, the wearer experiences lessfatigue, since the fingers can move a greater distance before the glovematerial is stretched to accommodate movement or curling of thefinger(s). The expansion zones are designed to provide less resistanceto stretching or elongating along the length of the finger compared tothe lateral (“circumferential”) direction and compared to materialoutside the expansion zones of the glove. At least one rib may beprovided in the expansion and/or reinforcement zone having enoughlateral (“hoop”) strength to ensure that the material beneath theknuckle or joint does not pull away from the finger and bunch upunnecessarily and to reduce the stretching in the circumferentialdirection.

An additional feature of the ribbed zones is that there is lessconstriction of the user's hand during operation. When an elasticmaterial such as rubber stretches, it simultaneously narrows, the sameas a rubber band will narrow as it is stretched. Since the glove isalready adjacent the skin of the wearer, the stretching of the glovewill narrow about the hand causing constriction and discomfort of thehand. By providing additional material in the expansion zones, the“expansion” of the glove involves the unfurling of the ribs or folds ordiamond cross links instead of actually requiring significant“stretching” of the material thus avoiding the same constriction of thematerial.

Another feature according to a preferred embodiment that can be usedseparately or with the expansion zones on the glove are stabilizer zones14 as shown in FIG. 2 (and FIG. 10). These zones include a stiffener orsupport rib (“stabilizer”) that is incorporated above or below theglove, but is preferably within the material or encapsulated in asimilar material to the glove to appear within the material. Forexample, the stabilizer could be affixed on top of the glove materialand then a similar latex later could be affixed over the stabilizer sothat the stabilizer appears to be within the glove material. Thestabilizer may be made of metal, but is preferably made of latex, vinylnitrile, or other plastic or a dense rubber or similar material. Thestabilizer may also be an area of extra thick base glove material, e.g.,latex.

The stabilizer zones are located to cooperate with the expansion zones.The stabilizer zones may be connected directly to an expansion zone, butpreferably are not extensions of the stretch zones, but are insteadlocated in an associated position elsewhere on the glove. For example,for each expansion zone on the top of a finger knuckle there may be astabilizer zone below the knuckle separated by an area of the uniformthickness glove portion (“base glove” portion). The stabilizer servesseveral functions. Firstly, the stabilizer has a length and width tomaintain the fabric of the glove in the proper position and shape, suchas maintaining a proper curvature about the finger when the finger isstraight or bent. This prevents the glove from unduly constricting thefinger as the joint is manipulated by separating the potentially loosematerial into small portions between each stabilizer. This prevents alarge section of glove from pulling away from the hand underneath afinger. Secondly, the stabilizer has a length and width to control wherethe material bunches as a finger or other joint is bent. As material ontop of the glove is stretched during bending of a finger, materialbeneath the joint is compressed. The compressed material will naturallyfold and bunch in the zone below the finger. This may be in a locationthat prevents the user from properly grasping a tool or may destroy thetactile feel of the hand on the patient during a delicate operation. Thestabilizer can provide a “non-bunching” zone beneath the finger byreducing the length or width of material between the stabilizers that isable to bunch and cause the material to bunch elsewhere or to foldneatly about the stabilizer. This helps emulate the folding of thefinger naturally as the skin of the first and second joints of thefinger do naturally around the knuckle of the finger.

The cooperation between the stabilizer and the ribbed zones is uniqueand provides a glove that acts as naturally similar to an ungloved handas possible. Each expansion zone may have an associated, cooperatingstabilizer. Additional stabilizers may be provided as shown in FIG. 2across the palm below the pinkie or between the thumb and theforefinger. The groove between the thumb and the palm may have either orboth an expansion area and a stabilizer area 17. Additional stabilizersor relief zones 14,18 may be provided along the thumb and below thethumb near the wrist. Stabilizers can also be placed on the last jointof the finger similar to the other knuckles and joints of the finger.The shape of the expansion zones may be modified as necessary, but ispreferably a diamond shape with a larger base on the main knuckle orjoint of the finger. The same shape may be provided at the other jointsof the fingers, but preferably a modified elliptical shape drawing to apoint at each end of the expansion zone is provided. Additionalstabilizers and expansion zones may be placed in additional areas thanthose shown. One or more of the stabilizers or expansion zones shown inthe drawing may be omitted or moved or resized as necessary. Ideally, astabilizer is provided in an area where bunching would occur when aportion of the hand (or fingers) is moved and an expansion zone isprovided where material of a glove would stretch during normal movementof a hand and/or finger. In a preferred embodiment, there is astabilizer in the area that bunching would occur for each expansion zonein a “stretch” area of a joint.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of one such glove with only some areascovered by expansion zones and stabilizers. Because the cost ofmanufacturing a glove increases with each expansion area or stabilizeradded, the zones shown are felt to have the most impact.

Additional Preferred Embodiments

FIG. 5 shows an alternate stress relief zone construction 120. Each ofthe diamonds 122 (or the entire area 120) may be formed of a uniqueexpansion pattern 124. FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show various alternativepatterns that may be used. FIG. 6D is a side view of the expansiondesign in FIG. 6A and shows the peak elevation of each fiber in theexpansion zone. In a preferred embodiment, each of the expansionpatterns 6A-6C the lines represent a latex or material similar to theglove compositions and having a thickness approximately that of theglove and the areas between the lines are a thinner or easier to stretchmaterial so that the expansion pattern stretches along a preferredcontour. In 6A, the concentric wave like patterns from the top andbottom allow the material to stretch in predictable manners while beingable to resume the original shape (“re-stabilize”) when the finger andglove are no longer being flexed. In pattern 6B, an interlaced patternallows for greater strength along the center of the pattern to aid theglove in regaining form between stretching. In pattern 6C, intricateparallel rows of offset waves allows the expansion pattern to stretchalong pre-determined, multi-dimensional patterns such that the thickerlatex “line” is always non-linear and has curved areas that can regaintheir original shape more easily. Alternatively, the patterns could berotated 90 degrees to create vertical patterns having fold lines alongthe finger lines instead of transverse to the finger lines (that istransverse to a longitudinal axis of the finger(s)). The advantages ofthese configurations are discussed further below.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show concave and convex patterns. In FIG. 7, the thickerpart of the material shown by the lines rises above the glove and thethinner areas are closer to the fingers as shown in profile 7B. FIGS. 8and 8B show a concave design. In this design the thinner portions arefurther from the finger than the thicker portions giving an almosthumped shape to the expansion pattern. Any of the relief zones shown inall of the figures could be concave or convex as needed.

Longitudinally (“Vertically”) Aligned Stress Relief Zones

FIGS. 9 and 10 shows an alternative, highly preferred embodiment of theinvention. A glove 110 made of latex, nitryl, vinyl or similar materialis shown. A number of relief zones 112, 114, 116, 118 are provide aboutthe glove. A first set of relief zones 112 (“digit relief zones”) aresited over the joint between the intermediate and proximal phalanges andeach finger. A second set of relief zones 114 (“knuckle relief zones”)are over the knuckles of the hand (“metacarpophalangeal joints”) namely,over the joint between the proximal phalanges and metacarpals. A thirdset of relief zones 116 are over the joint of the thumb, namely betweenthe distal and proximal phalanges of the thumb. A fourth relief zone 118is over the webbing between the thumb and the index finger. Aninter-finger relief zone 121 could also be provided between the fingers.Alternatively, an optional set of relief zones (20, FIG. 1) could beprovided adjacent the joint below the distal phalanges of the fingersand/or thumb. Another relief zone (13, FIG. 1) could also be providedbelow the thumb, but preferably using a vertical relief pattern. Astabilizer zone (118) could alternatively or additionally be providedbelow the thumb.

The digit relief zones 112 and 116 provide for a low stress yielding ofthe glove along the finger and thumb as the finger and/or thumb(collectively referred to as “digit” or “digits”) curls (“flexes”) fromthe extended position to the curled or retracted position. The knucklerelief zones 114 provide an area of the glove to yield as the hand isballed into a fist. The webbing relief zone 119 provides for a lowstress area of expansion as the thumb is extended away from the hand andprovides freedom of movement as the thumb rotates in relation to theindex finger.

A typical relief zone 112 is that on the joint of the middle finger. Therelief zone is a break in the smooth “planar” glove. The relief zoneprovides an area that extends, stretches or bends more easily than thesimple, uniform glove areas. The relief zone preferably consists of acorrugated area extending about 2.5 cm, but may vary according to thematerial or the amount of stretching required. Ideally, the corrugatedarea has around 4-6 folds of material with peaks in between separatingthe folds. The thickness of the glove in the corrugated area is constantand uniform with the rest of the glove. Where needed the glove couldhave thicker peaks or thinner folds to allow for more support or morestretching as needed. The folds are preferably uniform in length andwidth from one side to another. Alternatively, the folds in the middlecould extend longer than the ones on the sides consistent with thestretching of the skin underneath the relief zone. In anotherembodiment, the central folds could extend parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the respective finger while the outer folds arearced about the center fold to promote return of the folds to theiroriginal position when tension on the relief zone is released. The outerarced folds allow the outer folds to expand laterally about the fingeras the finger is flexed to accommodate the three dimensional effect ofthe stretching and to reduce constriction of the finger. The outer mostfolds may be around 20% shorter than the central folds. An intermediatelength fold having a length 10% shorter than the central fold can belocated between the central and outermost folds where a wider reliefzone is required. Alternatively, the width of each fold could be widenedto provide a wider relief zone. Alternatively, the lengths of the foldscould be formed such that the outer perimeter of the relief zone forms adiamond shape. The profile on the folds and peaks may be square, arcuateor sine waved so that the glove thickness remains constant throughoutthe folds at the time of construction. Where additional stretching isrequired, the folds can have an initial slight bowing away from thejoint to accommodate more flexing of the joint before stretching of thematerial occurs, since there is no requirement for tactile feel aroundthe back of the joint as opposed to the palm side of the glove where itis important to keep the glove material as close as possible to the handto provide a “natural” feel.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the glove consists mainly of the back (FIG.9) of the glove having a number of relief zones, while the front (FIG.10) of the glove has mainly only the webbing relief zone 118 extendingon to the front of the glove. As described above, the glove may haveadditional stabilizer zones as well. The glove may also use any of theshapes or patterns of the above described glove, including the diamondpatterns in place of or in addition to some or all of the verticalrelief zones described below. FIG. 11 shows once such diamond pattern1124 that could be used on the glove of FIG. 9. The vertical patterns ofFIGS. 12A-C could be used to replace the entire diamond 1120 or couldform the pattern for each diamond 1122. The folds could also run at anyother angle to the finger as needed to suit the particular location,material or function required.

The digit relief zones 112,114 are preferably elongated and run in adirection (“vertical”) along the longitudinal axis of the finger.Although it is unexpected and contrary to popular conceptions to haverelief zones with a longitudinal axis parallel to the digits, there areseveral advantages to this construction. The main advantage is that itallows for a simple construction of the gloves, especially when using adip mold to maintain a very low cost, highly flexible glove.

It is important to maintain the cost of medical/utility gloves at a verylow level so that they can be disposed of at the end of a procedure orwhen changing tasks, etc. Gloves having flexible zones would be ofreduced value if their costs were significantly higher than gloves inuse today. One low cost method of making gloves of latex or similarmaterial is by using a dip mold. The current invention is not limited tothe method of manufacture, but one such method is to build a base moldof greenstone, glass, ceramic or other similar or known material. Themold relief zones can be channeled into the mold as vertical grooves ofa size and shape configured for the size and shape desired on theproduct gloves. The amount, length and shape of the grooves will dependon the glove material and the glove size (small, medium, large etc.)among other considerations. A silicone or plaster mold (“cast”) can thenbe created using known methods from the greenstone master. The cast canthen be dipped into the latex to form the glove, typically after heatingthe cast for some types of rubber or plastic. Additional dippings can beused to add layers to the glove to create a more durable or reusableglove such as a utility or kitchen glove. The glove can then be peeledfrom the cast after it has dried, cured or set.

When the cast is dipped into the latex or similar material, excessmaterial can drip off the glove back into the pool of latex under theforce of gravity (or air pressure, etc.). The use of vertical groovesallows the latex to freely drip off the glove during this process.Horizontal groves or ridges can impede this flow causing pooling of thematerial and thus uneven coatings along the glove, which can detractfrom the operation of the relief zones. The vertical grooves can thusprovide optimum glove construction, while minimizing costs and obviatingthe need for further manufacturing steps to prevent pooling, etc.

The vertical relief zones 112,114 parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe digits are still able to reduce the amount of effort that it takesto bend the fingers or make a fist versus other gloves of similarthickness and material. As a finger bends the corrugations in the reliefzone can spread apart to allow the joint to push up into one or morefolds of the relief zone. The corrugation effect provides more materialwithin the relief zones without having “thicker” material in the reliefzone, providing the ability for the relief zones to accommodate moremovement/bending of the fingers without causing as much tension in theglove itself. In a preferred embodiment, the glove material is of auniform thickness even throughout the relief zone, but could be thinnerin portions of the folds. The relief zones preferably extendapproximately 120 to 140 degrees around the circumference of the finger,but may extended to a more or less degree according to the glovematerial, intended use, etc. However, it has been found that spreadingless than half way around the finger allows for enough stress reliefwithout causing interference between the fingers and without causingloss of tactile feel beneath the finger.

The relief zone instead moves materials out (“spreads out”) of the wayand around the finger instead of immediately stretching material out ofthe way of the joint as a prior art glove does. This parting of thecorrugated relief zones allows the finger to expand into the spacedefined by the corrugated material with zero or very minimal tensioncreated in the glove and thus low pressure on or minimal constriction ofthe fingers. The fingers and hand will thus experience less fatigue thanif the fingers are fighting against the pull of the material as thefingers flex and curl.

In a similar fashion, the webbing relief area 118, reduces the amount ofstress in the glove and thus the pressure on the thumb muscles andwebbing of the hand as the thumb moves away from the hand or rotates.Unlike the finger areas of the glove that wrap around the joint as thefingers curl, the webbing area of the glove is being pulled away(instead of around) from the web area. In a preferred embodiment, thewebbing relief zone 118 extends from the back of the hand around to thepalm area of the hand to provide for additional relief of the webbingarea throughout the entire motion of the thumb. The relief zone alsoallows the glove material to keep in close contact with the web of thehand instead of pulling out of contact as a normal glove can do. Thisallows the user to wear a closer fit glove rather than relying on theextra material of a larger glove to allow for free motion of the handand thumb within the glove.

In a preferred embodiment the digit relief zones on the fingers 112contain grooves/folds that are approximately 3-6 mm deep for a smallglove size, depending on the glove material, number of folds, etc. andpreferably 2-2.5 cm in length, but at least 1 cm in length. The depth ofthe web relief zone on the thumb 118 is preferably 4-6 mm deep.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, itis understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/oradaptations of the invention following in general the principle of theinvention and including such departures from the present disclosure ascome within the known or customary practice in the art to which theinvention pertains and as may be applied to the central featureshereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention andthe limits of the appended claims. It is therefore to be understood thatthe present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment describedabove, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of thefollowing claims.

1-17. (canceled)
 18. A polymeric glove, comprising: a covering which hasa substantially uniform thickness material throughout a majority of theglove, the covering having a palm portion for covering the palm of ahand, a back portion for covering the back of a hand, finger portionsfor covering fingers of a hand, and a thumb portion for covering a thumbof a hand; the back portion having at least one stress relief zoneincluding a pattern wherein flexing of a hand wearing the glove causesthe at least one stress relief zone to expand, the at least one stressrelief zone includes knuckle relief zones for covering a joint between ametacarpal and intermediate phalanges of the fingers and a first set ofrelief zones over a joint between intermediate and proximal phalanges oneach finger.
 19. The polymeric glove according to claim 18, wherein theat least one stress relief zone comprises two or more peaks and one ormore valleys disposed between the two peaks.
 20. The polymeric gloveaccording to claim 18, wherein the material is selected from the groupconsisting of latex, nitryl, and vinyl.
 21. A polymeric glove,comprising: a covering which has a substantially uniform thicknessmaterial throughout a majority of the glove, the covering having a palmportion for covering the palm of a hand, a back portion for covering theback of a hand, finger portions for covering fingers of a hand, and athumb portion for covering a thumb of a hand; the back portion having aplurality of stress relief zones including a pattern wherein flexing ofa hand wearing the glove causes the plurality of stress relief zones toexpand, the plurality of stress relief zones includes a relief zone overwebbing between a thumb and index finger, wherein all of the pluralityof stress relief zone are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axisof the fingers so as to obviate a need for further manufacturing stepsto prevent pooling during a manufacturing process.
 22. The polymericglove according to claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of stressrelief zones extends approximately 120 to 140 degrees around acircumference of the finger.
 23. The polymeric glove according to claim21, wherein each of the plurality of stress relief zones containsgrooves/folds that are approximately 3-6 mm deep.
 24. The polymericglove according to claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of stressrelief zones contains grooves/folds that are approximately 2-2.5 cm inlength.
 25. The polymeric glove according to claim 21, wherein each ofthe plurality of stress relief zones contains grooves/folds.
 26. Thepolymeric glove according to claim 21, wherein each of the plurality ofstress relief zones contains grooves/folds that are at least 1 cm inlength.